Research and public policy: transparent, responsible and impartial?

Event Sections

Scientific studies are under the spotlight and have sparked much debate. From food to health safety, research organizations conducting studies don’t always come to the same conclusions due to the complexity of facts, perceptions and interpretations. And the credibility of some external studies used in the EU evaluation process have been seriously questioned lately.
But everyone will agree that transparency and independence are crucial to increase trust in research and decision-making.

What is responsible research? How can the EU best guarantee it?

How do you increase trust in business & institutions? Do corporations have the right to say ‘trust us’?

What does the current system deliver? What can be improved?

As regulators don’t have the capacity to do the research, what are credible alternatives to the current system?

Is open data a solution for more transparent and trust worthy research?

What is the role of NGOs in providing balance? Are their motivations always legitimate?

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Opening Interview with Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation

2:30 PM CET

Panel discussion

Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation

Stephan Kuster, Secretary General, Science Europe

James Wilsdon, Director of Research and Innovation, University of Sheffield

Sofie Vanthournout, Director, Sense About Science EU

3:20 PM CET

Closing remarks followed by a networking coffee

Speakers

Carlos Moedas, European Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation

Carlos Moedas is the European Commissioner in charge of Research, Science and Innovation, a position he has held since 2014. Moedas was previously elected to the National Parliament and became Secretary of State to the Prime Minister of Portugal, responsible for the Portuguese Adjustment Programme, from 2011 to 2014. Moedas founded and ran his own investment company Crimson Investment management from 2008 to 2011, following his experience as Managing Director and member of the Executive Board of the Aguirre Newman real estate firm from 2004 to 2008. Before that, Moedas worked for 4 years on mergers and acquisitions at Goldman Sachs investment bank in London. He worked in engineering for the Suez-Lyonnaise des Eaux group in France until 1998. Moedas completed his final year of studies at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. He holds an MBA from Harvard Business School in the United States and a degree in civil engineering from the Instituto Superior Técnico de Lisboa.

Stephan Kuster, Secretary General, Science Europe

Stephan Kuster is Secretary General of Science Europe since February 2018 where he acts as spokesperson for Science Europe, and leads the development of joint initiatives, positions, and approaches by the Science Europe member organisations. Science Europe is the Brussels based association of 43 major European public Research Funding Organisations (RFO) and Research Performing Organisations (RPO). Kuster has been with Science Europe since its founding in 2011. Before that, he worked as European Advisor for the Swiss National Science Foundation and the Swiss Contact Office for Research, Innovation and Education in Brussels, SwissCore.

Sofie Vanthournout, Director, Sense about Science EU

Sofie Vanthournout has been the director of Sense about Science EU since May 2016. She is based in Brussels and focuses on EU policy. In 2014, she temporarily joined the team of Anne Glover, then chief scientific adviser of the European commission. It was then that she became passionate about public dialogue and where she became convinced that Brussels is in urgent need of a Sense about Science EU. Between 2008 and 2016 she managed the international relations of the Royal Belgian Academies. In 2010, she launched a Brussels office for the European Academies Science Advisory Council (EASAC), an organization that gives independent scientific advice for EU policy. Vanthournout headed this office for 6 years, supporting EASAC in connecting to the European Institutions and other stakeholders. She was trained as a botanist and has a background in molecular biology research.

James Wilsdon, Professor of Research Policy, Director of Research and Innovation, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Sheffield

James Wilsdon is Professor of Research Policy and Director of Impact and Engagement at the Faculty of Social Sciences of Sheffield University. He is also associate director in the Grantham Centre for Sustainable Futures, a programme leader for the ESRC/HEFCE Centre for Global Higher Education (CGHE), and vice-chair of the International Network for Government Science Advice (INGSA). In 2015, Wilsdon was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences, and now chairs its Policy Working Group. From 2013 to 2017, he chaired the UK’s Campaign for Social Science, and led an independent review of the role of metrics in the management of the UK’s research system, which published its final report in 2015 as The Metric Tide. Building on this, he recently chaired an expert panel on Next Generation Metrics for the European Commission. Previously, Wilsdon worked as Professor of Science and Democracy at the University of Sussex (2011-2015); Director of Science Policy at the Royal Society, the UK national academy of science (2008-2011); Head of Science and Innovation at the think tank Demos (2001-2008); Senior Research Fellow at Lancaster University's Institute for Advanced Studies (2006-2008); Senior Policy Adviser at Forum for the Future (1997-2001); and special adviser to the UK Sustainable Development Commission (2000-2001).

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Sponsors

Volker Koch-Achelpöhler is Head of the Bayer EU Liaison Office in Brussels since February 2017. Previously, he led for almost 11 years the German Crop Protection and Fertilizer Association (IVA). From 2000 to 2006, Koch-Achelpöhler worked for the European Crop Protection Association (ECPA). He has years of experience providing policy advice, especially on agriculture policy. Before his career in industry, he worked several years as a scientist in the fields of rural and agricultural economics, followed by an assignment with a major consulting company. Koch-Achelpöhler holds a degree in agricultural economics from the University of Bonn.

Bayer

 Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the Life Science fields of health care and agriculture. Its products and services are designed to benefit people and improve their quality of life. At the same time, the Group aims to create value through innovation, growth and high earning power. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development and to its social and ethical responsibilities as a corporate citizen. In fiscal 2017, the Group employed around 99,800 people and had sales of EUR 35.0 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to EUR 2.4 billion, R&D expenses to EUR 4.5 billion. For more information, go to www.bayer.com.

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